Iowa DOT, FRA to study Chicago-Omaha route

Next week, the Iowa Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration will launch a planning study for a proposed Chicago-to-Omaha passenger-rail line.

The agencies will evaluate potential routes, service and ridership levels, and environmental impacts. The study will help determine the viability of implementing a high-speed passenger-rail system in the region, according to the Iowa DOT.

“Potential improvements to the passenger-rail system from Chicago, through Iowa, to Omaha, will help complete the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative’s vision for developing an improved and expanded passenger-rail system in the Midwest,” said Tamara Nicholson, director of Iowa DOT’s Office of Rail Transportation, in a prepared statement.